Frame assemblies are used to support covering members, as roofs, floors and the like. A conventional frame assembly is assembled piece-by-piece, or in sections, before the covering structure is placed on the frame assembly. In the construction of the frame assembly, upright center supports or temporary scaffolding is necessary to hold the workers and materials. This building procedure requires considerable time and a number of skilled workers. Furthermore, the temporary scaffolding or lift structures must be removed after the frame assembly has been completed.
A geodesic dome has a frame assembly supporting covering panels. The normal procedure in erecting a geodesic dome is to add the panels around the periphery of an initial center section. This center assembly is progressively lifted while additional panels are attached around the periphery by men working at the ground level until all the panels are in place. A center tower rigged with lifting cables and winches is used to lift the geodesic structure progressively. This method requires tower footings to support the entire weight of the dome. These footings are not used after the dome is in place.
Holcombe in U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,772 discloses a method of utilizing pneumatic bags to function as lifting means and temporary scaffolding in the erection of a dome structure. McCracken in U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,515 utilizes air pressure to raise a flexible roof structure which is made rigid after it is in its raised position, thereby forming a self-standing roof structure. McAllister in copending patent application Ser. No. 40,922, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,976, describes a method of making a convex structure, as a roof, utilizing a fluid impervious means in combination with cooperating structural means. The structure is set up in ground level position and then raised to a convex curved shape by subjecting the fluid impervious means to fluid under pressure. The curved configuration of the structure is maintained by the cooperating structural means after the fluid has been exhausted from under the fluid impervious means.